- Huxley, Aldous. In Coren S. Sleep Thieves: An Eye-Opening Exploration into the Science and Mysteries of Sleep. New York: The Free Press; 1996, p. 175.
Overview and Definition
Sleep is the golden chain that ties health and our bodies together. - Thomas Dekker -1572 - 1632
Sleep is natural to all living beings. It signals the cessation of
Every living creature goes through phases of sleep and wakefulness. The simplest answer to why we sleep is because we get tired and we cannot function if we get too sleepy.
When man was created, he came with an internal or biological clock, which controls the timings of the wakefulness-sleep cycle. This clock, which is sensitive to light, had evolved over the ages in close approximation to the 24hr light-dark cycle (
Make sure that you get enough sleep every day because lack of sleep can increase appetite, contributing to overeating and weight gain. Hormones that regulate appetite are influenced by sleep duration.